When you think of Corey Taylor, you probably picture the terrifying masks of Slipknot or the gravelly roar of Stone Sour. But behind the scenes, away from the pyrotechnics and the "Magnum Opus" metal albums, the guy has had a hell of a time navigating his personal life. Most fans focus on the lyrics, but the real-life drama involving a Corey Taylor ex wife (or two) often explains exactly why those lyrics are so damn dark.
Honestly, being a rock star’s spouse sounds like a nightmare. You’re dealing with world tours, a massive ego, and in Corey’s case, some pretty heavy battles with addiction and mental health. He’s been married three times, and each era of his life is basically defined by the woman he was with at the time.
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The Woman Who Saved Him: Scarlett Stone
Back in the early 2000s, Corey was a mess. That’s not a secret; he’s been very open about it. His first wife was Scarlett Stone. They got married on March 11, 2004, at the Botanical Center in Des Moines. It was a small, low-key ceremony, which is kinda funny considering Slipknot was becoming the biggest metal band on the planet right then.
They had a son together, Griffin Parker Taylor, who is basically a clone of his dad and now fronts his own band, Vended.
Scarlett is often credited with literally saving Corey’s life. In 2003, before they even tied the knot, things got dark at the Hyatt on Sunset Boulevard. Corey has told stories about nearly jumping off an eighth-floor balcony. Depending on which interview you read, either Scarlett or his friend Thom Hazaert stopped him. But the ultimatum was real: Scarlett told him he had to get sober or the marriage was over.
He did it. He got sober in 2006.
But sobriety changes a person. You start seeing the cracks you were too drunk to notice before. By 2007, the marriage was done. Corey later admitted in Revolver that they had "damaged each other too much." It’s that classic story where the person who helps you through your worst days isn't necessarily the person you're meant to spend your best days with.
The "Dark" Eight Years: Stephanie Luby
The search for a Corey Taylor ex wife usually leads people to Stephanie Luby. They married in Las Vegas in November 2009. This one seemed like the perfect "rock and roll" match. She walked down the aisle to Metallica's "For Whom The Bell Tolls." How metal is that?
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For a long time, everything looked great from the outside. They had a daughter named Ryan. They were together for eight years, which is a lifetime in the music industry. But appearances are deceiving.
Corey has since described this relationship as "toxic." That’s a heavy word. In 2023, he told Louder Sound that for eight years, he was "married to the wrong woman." He claimed the relationship ate away at a part of him he might never get back.
- They separated in 2017.
- The divorce was finalized shortly after.
- Corey went through a "psychotic ball of emotion" period afterward.
He doesn't regret it because of their daughter, but he’s been very vocal about how much it messed with his head. He felt like he didn't even know who he was by the end of it. If you listen to the more experimental, tortured tracks on We Are Not Your Kind, you're hearing the fallout of that breakup.
Alicia Dove and the New Chapter
By the time 2017 rolled around, Corey was single and, frankly, pretty miserable. Then came Alicia Dove. She’s a professional dancer and the founder of the Cherry Bombs. They started dating after her group toured with Stone Sour.
It was fast. People talked. They always do.
They got engaged over a bowl of salsa (true story, she was putting the salsa back in the fridge when he popped the question) and married in 2019. This relationship seems to be the one where he finally found some stability. She’s not technically a Corey Taylor ex wife, but she’s the one who had to help him pick up the pieces after the previous two.
Why does this matter to fans?
It’s not just gossip. For a songwriter like Taylor, his wives were his muses—both the good and the bad.
- Scarlett Stone represents the struggle for sobriety and the "Iowa" era intensity.
- Stephanie Luby represents the middle-period Stone Sour years and the internal "toxic" struggle he eventually sang about.
- Alicia Dove represents the "CMFT" solo era—a bit more fun, a bit more healed.
Real Lessons from Corey’s History
If there’s anything to take away from Corey’s string of marriages, it’s that fame doesn’t fix your "real life sh*t." He’s dealt with PTSD, depression, and the fallout of bad decisions just like anyone else. He just happens to do it in front of millions of people while wearing a silicone mask.
His honesty about his divorces is actually pretty refreshing. He doesn't pretend it was all "creative differences." He admits when he was the problem and when the relationship itself was the poison.
If you're following Corey's journey, the best thing you can do is listen to the lyrics on his latest solo work. It’s where he’s finally processing the "psychotic ball of emotion" that his past marriages left behind. You can see the growth from the man who was nearly a statistic in a hotel room to a guy who found a partner he actually likes.
To really understand the man, look at his work through the lens of who was standing next to him at the time. The evolution of his music is the evolution of his heart. And honestly? It’s been a wild, messy, and very loud ride.
Next Steps for Fans:
Go back and listen to the lyrics of Come What(ever) May and compare them to CMF2. You'll hear a man who has gone from fighting for his life to fighting for his happiness. Check out the latest Cherry Bombs performances to see the creative synergy between Corey and Alicia that seems to be keeping him grounded these days.